THE 152ND OPEN

July 21, 2024

Robert MacIntyre

Mixed Zone

Q. How was the experience?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: It was great. To get to play with an idol, someone that you've shaped your golf game around. If it wasn't watching my dad play golf, it was watching Phil Mickelson play golf, and it was cool to walk the fairways with him, as well, and get chatting to him. It was just cool.

Q. Had you had any interactions with Phil before?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: He introduced himself on the range at Torrey Pines at the U.S. Open. Other than that, it was nothing. Today was obviously a special day just to get to do that. But again, I was out to do a job, and I didn't quite do that.

Q. How do you reflect on the week?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Brutally honest, terrible. It was summed up by the 16th hole there. We won't be back here in a hurry.

Q. What did Justin say to you after you saw him last week and experienced such a high? And what would it mean for you to watch him go out and get it done today?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Justin just congratulated me, "well done," like the majority of others. Obviously we've got a great bond from the Ryder Cup. But he's got a tough job on his hand today. There's so many great players up there, and look, hopefully -- I've got a few good people that I root for up there, and hopefully they both can do well.

Q. You say you won't be back in a hurry. The setup, do you think it crossed the line at times?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: No, look, there's certain golf courses that suit left-handers and right-handers, and this one didn't suit the left-hander with a more southerly wind. If we got the usually westerly wind - I spoke to Phil about that out there - it was probably perfect for a left-hander, where the front nine was playable for a lefty, whereas this week it was absolutely brutal for me.

Q. Have these two weeks physically and mentally drained you a bit?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, mentally. Physically I'm fine, but mentally I'm gone. Sunday night probably took a lot out of me. It was worth it. You've got to celebrate special wins. That was outrageous.

This week, to be honest, has just gone straight in the bin, and last week is the one that we'll reflect on because there's no real point in reflecting on this one when it's been absolute carnage from start to finish. Preparation wasn't the best, obviously, coming off of last week, but we'll sit back and reflect and look to see where we can keep improving, and just keep moving forward.

Q. What's the plans now in terms of your schedule?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I'll go and play -- I'll take two weeks off and I'll go play the final four in America, come back to Europe after that and play the end of the year in Europe.

I don't know, probably Irish, Wentworth, I don't know what else, plus Madrid, Dunhill. But I don't want to overplay, as well. I want to put my feet up at some point.

Q. Must be a huge positive for you getting into the world's top 20?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, look, again, right now I'm fresh off a disappointing finish there. Top 20 in the world is really good. I've got ambitions in the game that I want to go further than 16th in the world. Playing in these tournaments is what you need to do and competing in them, but yeah, 16th in the world is great, but there's a long way to keep going.

Q. How do you plan to recharge and get right back at it?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I'm very good at relaxing when I get away from the golf course. I'm very good at keeping the clubs in the travel case when I've got my weeks off and enjoying time with friends and family. It's going to be no different over these next two weeks and then I'll go back out to the States, do a bit of practising and just go again and just keep pushing forward.

Q. Did you manage to knock a few past Phil at any point?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: I did. I hit a fair few, but the one I really hit was a lost ball right down the left half of the fairway on 16. Just one of them weeks.